The Cat and The Canary
by Aphrodiete
Summary: Hiashi seems determined to make Neji and Hinata's lives a living hell by forcing them to accept an arranged marriage that would sever Hinata and Naruto's relationship. Neji comes up with a solution and asks the last person he would ever think of for help: Ino. (Rewritten)
1. Chapter 1: Torn

**Hello I am Aphrodiete.**

**As some of you know this fic was originally named "Torn" however I decided to change its generic title. However, the first chapter will still be titled torn in memory of its creation.**

**Originally, I was going to scrap this entire fanfic because looking back I did some terrible writing in my opinion. Good ideas, but without a solid plotline, but then I stumbled across this old fic and read the reviews that were left behind in my absence and I once more fell in love with the idea of writing this fic. Simply continuing where I left off wasn't an option so I am rewriting the entire thing (not that it was much LOL).**

**A special thanks to Blondie10, Cat, elli-sofia, LuvleeCookieChan, Etsuko Hoshi, lovewrath, EmoPrincess21, trulyanimelover06, Rougish, marissa mars and the lovely quest whom all left reviews for the old content! You all rock and I'm honored that you took the time to review on my work. **

**I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I simply created the plotline. **

**The rookie nine are about 18 years old and the members of team guy are 19. I'm still bitter that Neji was killed off.**

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**The Cat and The Canary**

Ultimatum- a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.

**Chapter One: Torn**

His day had started out perfect. A clean kill and not a drop of misplaced blood. The mark of an assiduous predator.

Had Neji known that Hiashi would be prowling around the compound with a lethal demand he would have never completed his classified mission so quickly. At least then he would still have a few more peaceful days to linger in blissful ignorance. He knew the moment he entered the main house and saw Hinata shaken of her last ounce of confidence that his life was about to change forever.

Neji escaped the somber Hyuga compound at a brisk pace weaving his way through the dark thicket determined to pour his anger out in training. Each low hanging branch of foliage that was passed earned a not-so-gentle smack from his palm effectively snapping the thin wooden limbs and sending shaking leaves to the grassy floor. It was late into the night, but he couldn't bring himself to care. _That_ man had gone too far this time. Neji had just spent the last hour having his future decided by the unrelenting Hiashi.

"It had to be her." He seethed to himself. At this rate, he doubted that even his favorite pastime of meditation could calm his raging spirit. It baffled him that after all the progress he had made to accept his family and his fate that he was taking a step back. Of course, he wasn't blaming the main branch anymore, but he couldn't stand his uncles vile order which had been recently issued. Once more the lock had been latched shut on his gilded cage, leaving him aching for freedom.

Hiashi was determined to force his daughter Hinata to become the wife of his eldest nephew, something that Neji greatly opposed. Any other woman or girl Neji would have begrudgingly accepted and married by order of the main branch, however it was his dear cousin. The thought of destroying her happiness was vulgar. His uncle had thought otherwise and claimed to have to reasons for this forced union.

The first reason behind Hiashi's demand was that this marriage would diffuse the relationship between his daughter and the "scandalous and demonic troublemaker" and the second reason being that this union would pass Neji's superior abilities and valuable genes back into the Main Branch.

At the first exposure of this demand Neji cringed and fought back. After all, Hinata was like a sister to him and his uncle's resolution was sickening. For once in her life Hinata had something that she desired and Hiashi wanted to rip it from her trembling fingers. She would be damaged. An arranged marriage would not replace unequivocal love between two kindred souls. Sure, it had taken long - far too long in Neji's opinion – for Naruto to stop chasing Sakura and look at the girl who had been rooting desperately for him from the moment she laid eyes on him, but he loved her just as fiercely. And if he was being selfish he had to admit that this marriage would ruin his life as well by throwing away his opportunity to find someone to love.

Someone to cherish.

However, as soon as Neji had voiced his protest Hiashi was quick to remind him of his place. An excruciating burst of pain to his forehead and a sharp reprimand had Neji on the floor glaring at the Hyuga patriarch. Once the man had retreated Neji stormed furiously down the hall and outside to put distance between himself and reality.

Hiashi's words were still fresh in his throbbing mind. "You exist to serve the main branch and you will do as I say. Unless there is some _liability_ you will marry Hinata."

The words churned viciously within the Hyuga genius as he crossed the property border: he only slowed down once he was a mile out into unfamiliar territory.

Neji chose to stop in front of an expansive tree which would serve as his victim. With each well practiced strike the tree dropped more of its emerald coat with a shiver. Each chakra surged palm bore down harder than the last as he tried to calm his racing thoughts… failing.

Any viable option of escaping the cursed arrangement would lead to his own demise. If he ran away he could escape the marriage, but he would be hunted down for retrieval or assassination due to his kekkei genkai. If only there were a way to change Hiashi's mind.

Neji shook his head to clear the useless thoughts. He began counting to regain control over his mind. It was an exercise that he used on occasion when he chose to ignore Lee or Tenten during practice. Counting wasn't always successful, but at this point anything was worth the shot to remove the burning thoughts that bleed through his psyche.

_One, Two, Three, Four… _Even if he were removed from the picture Hiashi would find another clan member to wed her… _Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen… _and if she continued to see Naruto after they were married then she would be pushed into the side branch like him… _Twenty-Nine, Thirty, Thirty-One, Thirty-Two… _however, Hiashi's aim was to return Neji's valuable genes to the main branch… _Forty-Five, Forty-Six, Forty-Seven, Forty-Eight… _if he had been in a serious relationship then Hiashi wouldn't have been able to corner him…_Fifty-Two, Fifty-Three, Fifty-Four, Fifty-Five… _if he hadn't rejected the weapon expert when she came to him… _Sixty-One… _she had offered herself to him…_Sixty-Two, Sixty-Three, S-_

_-Splash_

The sound rippled his concentration.

Neji paused and intently listened.

A series of soft splashes reached his ears along with the sound of music, singing, no… humming.

More splashing.

Momentarily forgetting his predicament Neji followed the curious melody. It was beyond him why another person would be out this far into the forest at such an unreasonable hour.

And there she was. There dancing upon a stream of bubbling water was a young woman. Her blonde hair swirled about her curves and she moved with a grace that nearly put his entire clan to shame. In one of her hands she grasped a woven flower basket quietly trickling pastel petals upon the glassy moonlit surface. Down the soft round appendages drifted… pink, yellow, blue.

She was surreal.

And then to his horror cerulean eyes landed on his own. Suddenly she was familiar, oh so familiar. This was Yamanaka Ino the other loud mouth blonde of Kohona. How could he have missed that trademark hairstyle style and revealing purple clothing?

Ino brought her graceful feet together, gripping her flower basket with both hands and accessed him with curious narrowed eyes.

Neji was torn between confronting her and simply walking away.

He took in her appearance once more, watching her delicate eyebrow lift. Hiashi would kill Hinata if she had ever decided to dress in so... little. Her looks had improved since they were genin or maybe it was just because he was older that he noticed her now.

The florist placed the bountiful basket on the creek bank and crossed her arms. "What the hell do you want Hyuga?"

Neji stopped his mouth from falling open in shock, instead keeping a calm and composed mask. He never would have expected such vile and unrefined language from a woman. Had she spoken like this all those years ago? It frustrated him that he couldn't remember.

Deciding that the spirited Yamanaka wasn't worth the trouble of humoring on such an atrocious night he turned his back on the crass girl facing the direction of the sinister compound. Neji pushed back the sense of dread that wallowed within his stomach as he pondered returning to the Hyuga household.

An unladylike snort penetrated the silence, splintering Neji's thought process for the second time in the short span of time that he had encountered the brazen woman.

Her voice rang out with a twinge of annoyance. "You haven't changed you know."

Of course, he had changed since the last time she encountered him. However, this time his view of the main house had changed back, coincidently the night of their second woodland rendezvous. Fate seemed to have a way of gnawing its way back into his life when this blond stranger was around him, almost as if she held the reigns to his destiny. A cynical part of him wondered if another forest encounter the next night would shake off his uncle's demand.

_Fate_. He pondered the word bitterly. Such a word that he believed to have left behind after Naruto had taught him that he held the power to change his own fate, his own destiny. Fate was forged more from fire than stone. Fate was malleable. Yet it seemed notorious when rearing its ugly head at a certain Hyuga family.

"I resented you for a long time." She admitted out of the blue. Neji spared a glance at her taking a seat among swaying stalks of emerald velvet topped by round pastel stars. Her lips quirked as she met his unamused gaze.

The Yamanaka patted the springy stalks beside her and he decided in that moment that sitting next to the unpredictable blonde was better than returning to his cage.

It was strange to see the embodiment of a raging hurricane so still gazing at the stars and tracing wildflower petals. Her nails he noticed were surprisingly chipped and rather than painted purple as he would expect they were a soft baby blue. Forgetting his own troubles for a moment he found himself asking a question that he knew the answer to. "Do you still?"

"Yes."

Perhaps her response only bothered him because everything else in his life had gone wrong that night. He couldn't truly care what this woman who was practically a stranger thought of him. He had interacted with her very minimally during his life and preferred to keep it that way. This would be an easy feat to accomplish considering that they held a mutual distaste for each other. After tonight he promised himself to avoid the diva.

Yamanaka changed the subject. "Naruto is worried about Hinata. She has been avoiding him."

Neji's gut twisted at her words and he simply hummed in response, but to him it came out sounding suspiciously like a turbulent growl. Perhaps if he ignored her she would drop it. The problem seemed impossible to escape even around this almost stranger.

"That's unlike her." The blonde pressed throwing him a sidelong glance. After a pause, she added with an indignant huff. "She _loves _him."

Oddly enough hearing the validity of Hinata's love from this woman made him feel guilty. As if it was his fault that the marriage had been arranged. He supposed in some twisted angle that is was his fault for not becoming romantically involved with his teammate that they were in such a compromising mess. But, Neji felt that he had done the right thing in not leading Tenten on to develop false hope.

He looked away to watch the moon and the smudged shadows dancing along its pristine surface.

This was not a conversation he wanted to have with Yamanaka Ino.

Ignoring the kunoichi proved to be futile when he felt her baby blue fingernails dig into his thigh making him uncomfortable. Not only had she returned to an aggressive state she was touching him in a way that he deemed grossly inappropriate.

She leaned in as he leaned away. "I _know_ you know."

He was clearly insane for thinking he could spend time with the crazed blonde and forget about his own problems. Neji pried her hand off, gracefully climbed to his feet and turned his back on the Yamanaka. Before he managed enough steps to be at a safe distance he felt two small fists tug at the back of his clothing and registered a frustrated sigh. "Damnit Hyuga I'm worried about her too!"

After several seconds of silence, she let out a frustrated growl and roughly pulled on the back of his shirt which only succeeded in annoying him further. "Let me in you jerk. I want to help!"

She may be aggravating, but she clearly cared about Naruto and Hinata's happiness. Perhaps she wasn't as selfish as he previously assumed.

Neji spoke through a clenched jaw. "Hiashi arranged us to be married."

Everything was silent for a moment and then it wasn't.

"What do you mean arranged to be married?"

"That is his ultimatum."

"Fuck his ultimatum." The Yamanaka snapped walking around the Hyuga protégé to face him head on.

In his mind's eye, Neji could just see Hiashi's appalled expression as he ran for the nearest bar of soap to purge her sinful mouth. This girl symbolized everything that his uncle hated and rejected. She is invasive, stubborn, loud, provocative, and crass.

"You don't really have to do what that bastard says do you?" she asked looking up at him, firecrackers in swam within her cerulean orbs.

Suddenly a gleaming proposition burst into his mind. It would be reckless and it wasn't foolproof, but it was the only plan he could conjure up that didn't involve his own death. That is if he survived his uncle's wrath for concocting such a defiant strategy.

His own words rang in his mind reminding him of who he is. 'No one can determine another's destiny'. Unbridled hope soared through the Hyuga protégé.

Naruto was the one who changed his life forever, for good, for the better. He couldn't let that kindness go to waste. He had to pay him back by saving his relationship with the Hyuga heiress. After all it was Naruto who called _him_ a genius. Neji would not sit back powerless to stop Hiashi's boorish ultimatum. Not when he could find a way to win.

If Hiashi thought Naruto was scandalous, the ramen lover was about to appear a saint.

Yamanaka Ino was the perfect _liability._

A smirk broke out across his face causing the irritated blonde to blush. "I need your help."

She placed her hands on her hips forming her own Siamese smirk. "I see you've found your backbone."

Neji ignored her taunt and ushered his words out. "Pretend to be my girlfriend."

He watched as she took a moment to register the words before exploding.

"You want me to what!?" Ino screeched at the Hyuga genius, breaking the tranquility of the forest, scattering multitudes of birds into flight and causing a slight ring in Neji's ears.

Neji sighed with trepidation. He truly hadn't expected the Yamanaka to be so difficult about the subject. Most girls would have been swooning by if he had asked them the same request. Why couldn't she just say yes? "Miss Yamana-"

"Ino." She cut him off saucily, placing her hands adamantly on her hips.

"Excuse me?" Neji balked and crossed his arms, mildly offended by the loud girl's swift interruption.

"Call me Ino." She demanded crossing her arms to mimic him.

Neji observed the pushy blonde in front of him for a moment. He had always known her to be loud and obstinate from Shikamaru's complaints, however it had never occurred to him until that very second how well her name suited her.

"Fine." He continued tersely. "I believe that I had made myself quite clear."

Her eyes narrowed once more and she responded with slight venom. "You want me to be _your_ pretend girlfriend."

Neji gave the irritable blonde a slight dip of his head in agreement, ignoring the bothersome stands of hair that fell forward onto his face and gazed intently into the infernal woman's cerulean eyes seeking an answer. It was apparent that his presence had some sort of effect on Ino due to her flushed cheeks.

Neji felt a trickle of sweat form on his palms as he waited for her reaction considering her unpredictable nature his plan could be crushed before it started. Why wasn't she getting that he was asking her to help him help Hinata and Naruto?

The young woman in front of him snapped back into action and set her jaw. Her hands resumed their favorite place on her hips and she smirked. "What is your aim Hyuga? Did you finally come to your senses?" She snapped with a haughty toss of her hair.

The air practically crackled with electricity and non-verbal insults between them. Neji narrowed his eyes at her accusation. Of course he had not lost his senses. Deep down Neji knew this plan of his was insane. He was demanding the annoying Sasuke fan-girl to date him, even if it was intended as a hoax.

He let the words roll across his silver tongue. "It had not come to my attention that I lost them."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then pure fury resonated across her heavenly features. He knew instantly that he had spoken the wrong words. Neji would receive no help from the hellish flower girl if she continued to hate him. Although her accusations irked him, now was not the time to address them.

"No Hyuga!" Ino snapped. "I will not be _your_ fake girlfriend and if you expect me to just forget and act like that little scene in the forest of death never happened! You thought wrong Hyuga." She finished her point by stomping her foot, crossing her arms, and letting out a huff of anger.

Oh, the irony. It took everything in his power to not openly laugh at her childish antics. He needed her on his side and displaying his amusement would only further drive her away. Neji wasn't entirely sure how to calm Ino down from her tantrum, but considering how dire his situation was: he would do anything. After all it was his and Hinata's lives hanging in the balance.

Neji sighed. "This isn't about what happ-"

"You humiliated me Hyuga." Her eyelids snapped into a half-narrowed stance once more and she pierced him with her cerulean eyes which he noticed for the first time were nearly pupil-less like his own.

His rejection of her seduction attempt clearly bothered her more than he ever thought it would. Neji could feel his and Hinata's futures gradually slipping away due to his past actions concerning the blonde-haired fiend. He decided to try one more time. With the last of his dignity slipping away he leaned forward close enough to smell the shampoo that she used that morning and spoke softly, gazing down into her piercing eyes. "Do this for Hinata."

The Yamanaka looked confused. "What do you mean… Ohhhhh." She perked up and her lips lifted with an ebullient smile as she cast her face downward. Her mood swings were going to kill him before Hiashi had a chance to.

Rose tinted cheeks and sun kissed hair rose up to face him, although her soft glare was averted in another direction. "Fine. Yes. I'll do it."

Neji felt his breath rush out in utter relief. How long had he been holding it? Once more his future was settled into his palms to shape. He was silently imagining everything returning to normal once the plan was a success. Hinata would remain with Naruto and Neji could resume his own unbothered life.

"Sooo." she drawled, sucking on her teeth as she waited for him to speak.

Her tone brought him back to the present. "I will pick you up tomorrow and we can discuss the details then."

"Okay." The Yamanaka had returned to a chipper attitude. "See you tomorrow." Bounding off she called out to him. "Sweet dreams!"

He opened his mouth to say 'Goodnight', but she was already far off, heading in the direction of her home he assumed.

Neji was too relieved to be annoyed by the fact that he was dating -well pretend dating- one of the most obnoxious people he knew behind Naruto and Rock Lee of course. Then again Kiba grated on Neji's nerves just as much as the other two teens.

He noticed that she had left her flower basket toppled with an expansive variety of wildflowers resting on the bank. Figuring that he was going to see her tomorrow and that they were in a relationship for show, he didn't mind grabbing the floral basket to return to her tomorrow. Perhaps after this act of kindness the Yamanaka would stay calm and tolerable around him for the day.

As Hyuga protégé walked back to the family compound he briefly wondered whether he had made the right choice and furthermore if his last-minute plan would work. His uncle was quite perceptive and his hoax relationship with the wild blonde would have to appear genuine. As for Ino, keeping her as his accomplice could prove to be challenging considering their opposing personalities. He supposed showering her with lavish, but pointless gifts would keep the angry girl happy. Neji momentarily cringed at the idea of holding Ino's bags as she tried on dress after dress. If that was what it came down to; sacrifices would have to be made.

The journey back was longer than he originally anticipated, but Neji was relived to finally slide open the doors to the main house and slip in with the singular thought of his soft bed awaiting him.

As he was padding silently down the hall towards the safety of his room the sound of his name reached his ears.

"Neji-nii." came the utterly desolate and heartbroken voice of the young Hyuga heir.

Neji turned to meet the swimming eyes of his favored cousin. "Hinata-sama." He murmured while opening his arms to comfort the smaller girl. They had become quite close after learning the truth behind his father's death.

She hesitantly stepped into his arms shaking. "W-we only h-hav-ve a f-few d-days left."

Neji stroked her hair as she sobbed into his robes. "Shhh. Don't cry Hinata-sama. I have a plan." He whispered.

Hinata stepped back sniffling and stabbing her index fingers together. "Y-you do?"

It pained him to see her reverting back into the ghost of her former self.

"Yes." Neji responded with quite conviction.

Her eyes lit up with a new-found light, reminding Neji of their fight during the chunin exams when Naruto had rallied her fighting spirit.

"Thank you, big brother." Hinata whispered. She pulled back softly and eyed the colorful flower basket. "N-new hobby?" she asked with a serene smile.

Neji gazed down at the basket before meeting her eyes once more. "You could say that."

Fate was indeed cruel, however they held the power to change its course. He would fight to the end for their freedom. Their dreams would not be crushed.

Neji would not lose to Hiashi.

His day had started out perfect, shifted to terrible, but now his night was glistening with hope as it came to a close.

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**TBC**

**I hope you enjoyed the first installment of The Cat and The Canary.**

**Let me know what you think in the reviews. Thank you for the support and inspiration.**

**Much Love,**

**~ Aphrodiete**


	2. Chapter 2: Flurry of Emotion

**Hello friends,**

**Its currently dead week here at college and although I'm buried under a mountain of work I have been dedicating my time little by little to bring you the second chapter piece by piece. **

**Update: dead week is over and I made it out alive. I'm sorry that it's taking so long to get the second chapter up.**

**Update: I barely have time to sleep I'm so so so sorry. Just remember that I have NOT abandoned this.**

**Update: It's almost midterms now.**

**Akirahiguchi - **Thank you for your support! I was worried about the personalities because I for me that it the most important aspect of a fanfiction. I'm glad that you are eager to read this and I will try to get it updated faster in the future.

**The guest who uses :) – **I'm glad that you are interested in my story and I hope that I don't disappoint you! Thank you for the encouraging emotes.

**CiCi – **I agree that there are not enough NejiIno fics and that was one of my motives for writing this pair. It's so random, but the dynamic is great! I love your enthusiasm.

**Rougish – **I am so glad to see that you are still around. Thank you very much for the compliment. I will update the next chapters as soon as I can with my busy schedule.

**Guest 2 &amp; 3 – **Thank you for your kind words and inspiration!

**FFNRocks – **Thank you for the lovely review. The plotline is what I find most complicated about writing this particular piece. I want it to be something fresh, intriguing and believable to the readers so I have actually re-written chapter two several different times, so your encouragement helps tremendously!

**DapperCrapper**\- Your enthusiasm made my day! Thank you for the compliment about character dynamic. I feel that it is the time consuming part about writing these two together since they hardly interact.

**Lastly thank you to everyone who followed and favorited The Cat and The Canary.**

**I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**The Cat and The Canary**

Setback - a reversal or check in progress.

**Chapter Two: Flurry of Emotion**

The first day had been counter-productive. In fact, they had spent more time hiding and running from the villagers than coming up with an effective plan or having a believable date. From the looks of it the Yamanaka was reaching her boiling point.

It had all started that afternoon when Neji had made good on his word about picking up his blonde-haired sidekick. Naturally she was over the eager to flaunt their fake relationship in front of her childhood rival: Haruno Sakura. After minutes of useless protesting the disgruntled Hyuga finally caved and asked why she was so intent and the diva had responded with a sly smile. "No one spreads gossip faster than Sakura-chan."

It was an absurdly logical reason, however Neji felt that there was more going on behind the Yamanaka's simple claim. As a matter of fact, he went as far as to point out that of the village it was _she_ who spread the fastest gossip. Obviously becoming a violent woman's boyfriend comes with the added bonus of undeserved pain. Said pain was administered into his ribcage quite unexpectedly by her deft elbow. Unfortunately, this attack wasn't enough so she added a verbal assault accompanied with a glare. "Baka." She had called him. He was unsure whether anyone else had been brave enough to call him such a name.

If he had to admire anything about the rambunctious blonde it was her courage. She never seemed to back down and because of her unrelenting nature Neji had decided to drop the topic because like all woman she was impossible to understand. The Yamanaka was already proving to be troublesome and she wasn't even his real girlfriend. Perhaps she was the one who inspired Shikamaru to coin his favorite phrase.

And so the hunt had begun to search out the rosette medical nin and with this irritable task came many interruptions. Each place Sakura seemed to go held someone that they either had to encounter or avoid.

Their first encounter was not entirely unexpected.

Since the Yamanaka wanted to follow through with her foolish gossip plan, he decided that he wasn't going to lift a finger to help. Or more specifically activate his byakugan to be used in such a frivolous task. Because of this he allowed the bold flower girl to lead him through the cheerful village.

She made sure to never stray a step or two away from the Hyuga genius despite her eagerness to find Sakura and because of this Neji noticed that they were electing many stares from the villagers. Some looked baffled while others showed open traces of interest. A few girls in particular looked less than pleased and they seemed to hold a slight sense of familiarity, but Neji couldn't seem to place why.

Before Neji had a proper chance to reflect on the bitter women he heard the unmistakable voice of one of Konoha's elite.

"Yo."

The blonde beside him bristled and pointed an accusatory finger at the copycat ninja. "Are you reading another pervy book Kakashi-Sensei?!"

A low laugh escaped the silver ninja and his lone eye gleamed with what Neji presumed were impure thoughts. "It's going to take a lot better acting than that to pull off your undercover mission."

Neji balked in surprise as the Yamanaka sputtered and voiced his inner thoughts.

"H-how do you know that Kakashi-Sensei?!"

Kakashi's eye turned into the shape of a lopsided crescent moon which Neji vaguely interpreted as an expression of mischievous joy. "Tsunade has been wanting to place you two together on an undercover recon mission for a while, but she feared your conflicting personalities would cause an international fiasco."

Neji sighed quietly in relief. So, the copycat ninja wasn't onto their hoax relationship plan to bust up the unforgivable engagement. If Kakashi had misinterpreted their intentions as much needed practice for missions, then Neji and his blonde cohort had no chance at all to convince Hiashi. The task seemed far more daunting than before due to the silver ninja pointing out their incompatibility.

Judging by the looks on the faces of the two young adults they had a long way to go to meet the missions' standards and so he decided to sacrifice one of his treasured pieces of literature to provide guidance.

Kakashi threw the smut book into the arms of a repulsed Yamanaka Ino. "You two try a page out of this."

Before Ino had the chance to throw the vulgar book back, Kakashi had vanished in a swirl of leaves with the lame excuse of "Hearing an elderly women in need of assistance."

Neji quickly looked around to gauge if anyone was watching their odd encounter in hopes that no one would see an edition of Make Out Violence in the hands of his fake girlfriend. The book would damage his reputation severely.

The blond seethed and her fingernails dug crescent shaped indentations into the binding and cover of the book. "Pervert."

Neji simply narrowed his eyes at her lack of action. "Get rid of it."

When the Yamanaka realized, there was nowhere to dump the book nearby without raising suspicion she turned on Neji and ripped open his traditional clan robes to stash the book from plain sight. He wasn't sure whether he should feel relieved or mortified by her barbaric approach. On one hand the foul book was hidden, but on the other hand she had defiled his person AND hid a dirty book under his robe. Yamanaka Ino is unbelievable.

The Yamanaka walked up the road, waving him forward. "Come on. We _have_ to find Sakura. I'll use my sensory tracking this time."

His eyes narrowed dangerously with irritation, but he followed accompanied by the subtle pulse of a growing headache. With each step Neji couldn't help but take further notice of the book settled against his chest as if it were growing heavier from the guilt and indignation he felt at carrying the blasphemous publication.

She led him through the village market which was alive with the bustle of townsfolk. It was uncommon that he found himself in this part of Konohagakure, unless his cousins asked him along and even then he was so preoccupied with watching over them that he never really noticed the market itself. After all it was his duty to guard the main branch.

The market air was thriving with a steady hum of conversation and the street was lined with unique stalls draped in every color and pattern imaginable. Villagers eagerly milled about engaged in happy exchanges and holding bags that burst with ripe produce. Children raced against the mid-afternoon sun, threading through the crowd, and trailing kites in the shapes of brightly hued animals: dragons, butterflies, frogs, and many more. Neji couldn't help but forget his previous anger for the moment.

Why was it only now that he relishing in the atmosphere of the village market as if it was his first trip?

He was so enthralled by the vivacious atmosphere within the narrow streets that he hadn't realized he was standing still, observing this bright world until he felt the impact of a small body colliding into him. Startled from his reprieve Neji looked down to see a small girl no older than the age of four. Her mousy brown hair was in two short pigtails below her ears with bright red ties and her cheeks were dusted with light freckles. In her small hands, she clutched a bright yellow string and her wide green eyes were rimmed with large tears.

Neji felt his heart soften at the sight and held out a hand to the fallen child. "Are you hurt?"

The little girl shook her head profusely after she was back on her own two feet. She looked down at the flaxen string clasped in her hands. "My kite got broken and the boys left me behind." She hiccupped. "Why are boys so mean mister?"

"Not all boys have manners." Neji responded as he reached forward to lift the small girl up in his arms. "I will help you find your friends, don't worry."

Neji was somewhat relieved to spend time away from the boisterous Yamanaka even if it was only for a short while and even more so he had a strong urge to help this child that reminded him so much of his younger cousins.

Fortunately, Neji recalled the children with the animal kites that had run past him not long ago and turned to face the direction he had come. He activated his Byakugan to make the task easier and spotted the children huddled around the shape of a disfigured kite several hundred yards into the market.

"Wow mister!" The little girl exclaimed. "Are you a ninja?" she asked touching the swollen veins around his eyes. She continued in one big breath. "What is your name? I'm Yumi."

Neji loosened his lips into a faint smile. "My name is Neji. It's nice to meet you Yumi."

The little girl threw her arms around his neck and squeezed weakly. "Neji will you be my big brother?" She asked with a large smile that was missing two front teeth.

The question caught him by surprise, but the sincerity in the little girl's eyes was too much to bear so he simply nodded and set her down a few feet from the boys clustered around an object.

"Hey Yumi!" One of the boys yelled. "We went to find your kite, but it's a little broken." He frowned and held up a misshapen kite in the shape of a pink and yellow cat.

Yumi puffed out her cheeks and tried to hold back her crocodile tears as she fumbled with the marigold string. "It's okay!" She stammered.

The boys seemed to take notice of Neji standing close by. The one who appeared the oldest stepped forward and scratched his wild brown hair. "Hey mister thanks for bringing Yumi to us. We thought she was right behind us." He turned to face the little girl with determined gray eyes. "You can share my kite Yumi and we can take turns until you get a new one!"

A new voice entered the mix. "I might be able to fix your kite if you let me see it."

Her voice was so soft and tender that Neji nearly mistook the Yamanaka for another woman. The brazen blond sat down with the circle of boys and picked up the broken kite.

"Can you really fix it?" One of the boys asked in disbelief.

Neji watched as Ino picked up the cat shaped kite and turned it around looking for damage. She clapped her hands together with a smile. "There is a broken post and a tear. Nothing I can't fix." Ino smiled at the little boys in a way that made his gut clench. In that moment, she had the same smile his mother would give to him when he was a young boy. "Of course, I won't be able to fix Yumi's kite without your help."

How long had Ino been watching them?

The boys around her cheered. "We can do it! Don't worry Yumi, we will have your kite fixed in no time."

Ino instructed the boys to hold the fabric taught and the two pieces of the busted post together as she opened her medical pouch. As Neji watched her tape the post together he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Brother Neji, is this nice lady a ninja too?"

He looked down at Yumi. "Yes… she is."

"Awh. I want to grow up already so that I can be a ninja like you and the nice lady." Her face was frozen in a pout.

Neji though about Hiashi's ultimatum and back to his own adolescent youth. He relished the days he had spent with his father and sometimes he still fervently wished that he could reverse time and live those moments again. He found her innocence endearing in the way that he too used to ardently desire that he could group up faster and be a great ninja like his own father.

Yumi broke his line of thought. "Brother Neji, do you think she's pretty? I think she's really pretty."

Neji glanced at Yumi's large and hopeful smile before casting his gaze on Ino once more. Did _he_ think she was pretty? He pondered the strange though as he watched her interact with the children. He knew that many of the men in the village were enamored with the young woman and rumor had it that there were eyes outside of the country fixated on her as well. Eyes in high places.

He watched as the sliver needle glinted against the kite fabric. He watched her genuine smile and fair flaxen hair gleam in the afternoon sun. Did _he _find _her_ pretty?

"All fixed." Ino climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. "Here Yumi I added a little design so that the stitching wouldn't be so obvious." The Yamanaka knelt before the small girl and showed her the white flower stitching that was settled on the cat's face like a beauty mark.

He watched as Yumi burst into tears and hugged his blond companion. "Thank you so much nice lady."

The Yamanaka laughed shaking her head as she placed the fabricated cat into the young girl's arms. "Call me Ino."

Yumi beamed. "Okay Ino-chan!"

The boys held up their own kites chanting "Thank you Ino-chan!"

His blond companion returned to his side and crossed her arms as she smiled at the children jumping around each-other. "That was unexpectedly nice of you Hyuga."

Neji glanced at her from the corner of his eye. In his own regard, it was he who was surprised by _her_ unexpectedly nice side. Perhaps working with her wouldn't be a complete catastrophe. He idly wondered if after shattering Hiashi's ultimatum the two of them might possibly be friends.

He felt the Yamanaka grab his hand and the sensation of her skin on his sent a jolt through his hand, reviving him to the present time.

When Neji had started to retract his hand from the Yamanaka's she only clenched her fingers and held on tighter. His eyes followed their laced fingers up to her pouting face. "You are so mean Hyuga Neji… not wanting to hold your girlfriends hand!"

"I knew you thought she was pretty brother Neji!" Yumi squealed.

"Awh man! I want Ino-chan to by my girlfriend." One of the boys whined.

The Yamanaka laughed at the children's antics before turning her bemused gaze on the Hyuga genius. "We still have to find Sakura."

With this one sentence Neji felt his alleviated mood drop. "Hn." The Yamanaka pulled him away from the waving children towards the eastern side of the village. He glowered at their entwined hands as they walked further from the children's ecstatic farewells.

Neji decided he would allow her to touch his hand even though it bothered him. After all it was for a just cause and once he and Hinata were liberated from the engagement he wouldn't have to hold hands with Yamanaka Ino ever again.

The blond grinned deviously. "I knew you couldn't be that heartless." Accepting his silent approval.

"Hn." Neji turned his head away from her devious smile. She was getting on his nerves. Why had he been so deluded into thinking that the hard part would be overcoming Hiashi's ultimatum? He thinly tolerated the blond's presence. Furthermore, a small slice of doubt was creeping up the Hyuga's spine at the thought of his Uncle becoming increasingly positive towards the traitorous engagement because Neji had thought of bringing such a non-refined woman into the picture.

"Hey Hyuga, at least we managed to convin-"

_Woosh_

A thin wooden stick splintered the air between them as it lodged into a colorful stall that housed a large variety of rice. The unexpected assault had caused the unlikely pair to spring apart from each other in slight horror.

"Well, well, well… what kind of trouble did you two get into to have to hold hands?" Mitarashi Anko sauntered up to the uneasy pair twirling a fresh dango stick in her left hand and a mocking grin on her lips.

"Why does no one believe us!?" The Yamanaka howled, throwing her hands up in the air in frustrated disbelief. "And why can't you make a normal appearance!"

The unstable jonin let out a harsh barking laugh and slapped her knee. "Y-You." She wheezed for breath. "Can't be trying to tell me that you managed to finally seduce this up-tight pretty-boy?" Anko continued to cackle like a deranged hyena. "Not after the way he shot you down in the fore-"

The blond at his side surged forward to cover Anko's mouth. "I told you not to talk about that!" she shrieked flushing crimson.

Neji simply narrowed his eyes at the unnecessary remarks and insults. He detested that refinement was commonly confused with being considered as 'uptight' by those who needed a shorter leash. It was distasteful that by merely being in the presence of one such Yamanaka Ino that he was constantly coerced into vulgar situations. Already he had been nearly de-robed in public, was insulted serval times and worst of all he was forced to hide Kakashi's foul book on his person.

He looked up to the mid-afternoon sky, choosing to ignore the squabbling of two violently unpredictable women. As his eyes traced the outline of a drifting opaque cloud he was struck by the notion that perhaps this activity was developed by Shikamaru in order to distance himself from the exuberant blond.

The dark haired jonin suddenly filled his vision and she threw an arm around his shoulders that was far more distasteful than Ino's. Anko angled her body and he felt her barely contained fishnet chest brush against his clothes and tried desperately to angle himself away. Why did these two women seem so intent on touching him inappropriately?

Anko turned on him and delivered a smack to his chest with her free hand. "Good for you Hyuga. You finally found a woman that makes your dick stand up." He was completely mortified by the snake mistress's suggestion and even the Yamanaka looked appalled.

To make matters worse Anko seemed to have noticed something strange and was rubbing her palm over his clothed chest. Neji momentarily froze in horror when he felt the deranged instructor's hand collide with the filthy book the Yamanaka had hidden.

"What do you have in here?" Anko demanded curiously moving to pry open his robes for the second time that day. Unable to even bear the thought of clan shaming and disgrace that would occur if the jonin spotted the book Neji gentle fisted the wild woman away from him.

The Yamanaka's eyes looked ready to burst from her head and her mouth nearly hit the ground as she watched her sensei fly backwards and crash into a stall. The bright orange cloth that served as a roof settled down over Anko and took on the spiked shape of her slightly tamed hair, subtly reminding Neji of Naruto's past shenanigans and mistakes.

"_Run_." Ino whispered.

Suddenly everything exploded to life and Anko burst up slashing the bright cotton to ribbons with a kunai knife. "What are you hiding you goddamn rigid bastard!"

Neji didn't require any further incentive as he took off after the fleeing Yamanaka. He would rather marry Hinata then get caught red handed with a copy of Make Out Violence.

When he had decided to pick up Ino for the day this was the last possible outcome he could have ever predicted and after this moment he was never letting the idiotic blond choose the plans for the day ever again.

All around him villagers dived out of the way avoid being run down or buried under the wreckage of an unfortunate merchant's stall. He vaguely wondered if it would be him or the deranged jonin that would have to pay for the damages.

They ran.

And ran.

And ran until they were far, far away from the village market.

The Yamanaka stood with her hands on her knees panting to catch her breath. "Oh man I have to see her tomorrow and she's going to kill me for what you did, but it was awesome."

Neji simply glared at the unruly blond. It was her fault that he had to attack Mitarashi Anko and he could only hope that he wouldn't get a summons from Tsunade regarding the offense. There was no way that he could explain to the Godaime Hokage that he had attacked Anko in order to hide a dirty smut book. He would never be able to face her again.

Across from him the blond straightened up and narrowed her own eyes, taking Neji's glare as a challenge. "Don't give me that look. _You're_ the one that hit her."

He felt his calm façade slipping away after every taxing event that he had endured in her presence today. Neji pulled the book from his robe and thrust it into the Yamanaka's hands. "It's _your _fault we got into all of today's mess."

Just as he was about to unleash the entirety of his repressed rage towards the hellish girl he noticed a very distinct silhouette approaching: a woman with a thin athletic body and a lack of curves topped with two round buns.

Neji felt the panic starting to claw up his spine as a reminder of his prior rejection towards his teammate's romantic feelings. "You really expect me to think that ALL of today is _my _fault? You're pretty stupid for a genius." The Yamanaka raised her provoked voice, placing a hand on her curvaceous hip and flicked her bangs momentarily away from her piercing right eye.

Before she could say anything else he grabbed the Yamanaka's arm and pulled her forcefully into the shadows of an ally between a soap store and a gentleman's bar. "What the fuck do mphh-"

Neji clamped his hand over her mouth and held her body restrained between his own and the cracked brick wall. He could hear his heart jackhammering in his ears and he was sure that beneath him Ino could feel it as well as he anxiously waited for the weapons mistress to pass.

It wasn't that he didn't like Tenten. She was an amazing teammate and woman, but he just didn't harbor romantic feelings for her. Or for anyone else for that matter. Despite that he couldn't help feeling the rush of guilt at the thought of her discovering his hoax relationship with a woman that he had been hardly acquainted with. Neji knew that he would have to tell her soon before she found out on her own, but he dreaded the broken expression that he was destined to find on her face.

Luckily Tenten passed the disgruntled pair without noticing and Neji was happy for once that she wasn't a sensor type even if it would have been an asset during their team missions.

He sighed in relief and dropped his head exhausted on the supple shoulder of his blond companion. A sharp pain in his hand brought him back to his senses

She had bitten him.

Repulsed Neji jumped back releasing the golden hellhound. He could still feel the sting in his palm and resumed his glare towards the cause of most of his current troubles.

Time and time again she managed to surprise him. If she truly were a capable ninja she would have tried to in capitate him in a more dignified manner. But instead she chose to bite him like a lowly dog. This woman would absolutely be abhorred by the Hyuga patriarch.

"What the hell was that about, you baka!?" She furiously slammed her palms onto her hips demanding an explanation.

Neji counted backwards from three in order to calm himself before answering this provoking woman. "Tenten almost saw us."

He assumed that this response would soothe the angry Yamanaka and for a moment it seemed to as her face turned thoughtful. "Ne, hey Neji why didn't you ask Tenten to help you change Hiashi's mind?"

He looked away awkwardly. He didn't imagine himself having this conversation about Tenten with anyone. Not even Lee or Guy knew about Tenten's confession. "Asking her to help would have given her the wrong impression."

Ino placed her hand on her chin thoughtfully. "She loves you Hyuga. It would have been much more convincing if she had my job."

The Hyuga genius nearly groaned at the blond's meddling. "Tenten wouldn't have settled for fake Yamanaka."

Her piercing eyes widened in surprise before crashing down to give him a glistening cerulean glare. "Is that what you really think of me Hyuga Neji? You think that fake is all I'm good for and it's all that I will ever settle for?"

Neji was baffled. This wasn't the outcome he had anticipated from the strong-willed blond. He wasn't sure how to handle an emotional woman that wasn't one of his cousins. Hanabi would simply train until everything was pulverized and Hinata would cry until she felt better. But, Ino was a wild card.

He parted his lips to try and dissolve the situation.

"You've said enough Hyuga." She snarled, gripping the book with fearsome strength. "I thought you of all people would be different, but you're just the same stuck up asshole from before. I still hate you." A sleek blond ponytail arched through the air as she stormed off.

Panic and shame settled into his chest and sank swiftly to the pit of his stomach. He _needed_ her. "Ino wait. That's not what I meant."

"Leave me alone! I'm done with you, asshole."

He watched her go helplessly. As much as he wanted to chase her down and apologize he knew that she was the type of girl that needed space and time to cool off first. He could only hope that she would change her mind. He would tell her everything if he had to just to get her back.

Ironically, Neji felt as though he was actually in a relationship with the brazen blond and they had just had their first fight as a real couple.

The unpalatable scent of cigarette smoke reached his nose.

"Troublesome."

Neji turned to see the lazy jonin scratching the back of his neck and exhaling the reeking smoke. "Now I'll have to deal with her while Temari is over." Shikamaru popped his neck. "I'll tell you how to apologize to her if you keep her outta my hair for the next few days."

The Hyuga followed the lazy ninja back to the Nara residence and took a seat across from the lazy genius at his shogi table. He was thankful to have his partner's childhood friend give him the advice he needed. Although it came as a suspicious surprise due to the rumors about the close nit protectiveness of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho formation.

Shikamaru looked up from the board and exhaled more smoke painting the picture of a tired dragon inside the Hyuga's mind. "Troublesome." The Nara stubbed out his cigarette and opened his mouth to start the lecture.

**TBC**

**Wow that took me forever. I felt as though I was writing 2 sentences a day, but I'm glad that I was able to get the second chapter out. :)**

**Even though Yumi is an OC character without much time in this chapter I can't help, but love her character and I hope that you fellow readers liked her as well. She represents the innocence that we all used to have.**

**Thank you for the support and please let me know what you think!**

**Much love,**

**~Aphrodiete**


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